Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-17
DAILY HERALD.
CRIMINAL LIBEL.
Thornton, Stephens and
Wells Examined.
A CROWDED COURTROOM.
Interesting Testimony Elected at
the First Session of SEN
sati0nal Case.

interesting testimony Ellclte0 ~
the First Session of SEN
sational Case.
The examination of the charge of
libel preferred by Charles A.
Bell against Messrs. A. M. Thornton, G.
Wiley Wells and B. A. Stephens was
commenced before Justice Taney and q
crowded courtroom yesterday morning.
This case promises to become quite in
teresting before it has been concluded,
and the attention of many of the citi.
xsns has been directed to it by curiosity
and by knowledge of the parties con-
nocted with it.
The frat witness called was Charles
A. Bell. son of Major Horace Bell. He
that he knew all of the defend.
ants.
At this point the District Attorney
drew the attention of witness to the
sentence contained in the complaint:
$50 violent was his treatment of his
wife that it was necessary to contine
her in the Stockton Insane Asylum, p"
and producing the pamphlet en-.
entitled "Life of Horace Bsll' asked
him il he ever saw it before.
Witness stated that he had. He first
saw it on the corner of spring and Court
streets on February 23d, in the hands Of
r. M. Darcy, former Deputy Sheriff of
this county. The words contained in
the paragraph referred to were untrue.
Witness did not see the pamphlets dis
fributed, nor did he see them in the pos
session of either of the defendants. He
saw one in the possession of +. j. King,
and one in the hands of d. Kevane.
The attorney for the defendants here
moved that all witnesses be excluded
from the courtroom, and to prevent
Msjor Bell from leaving, the District At
torney entered him as an attorney in the
case.
Witness continuing, stated that at the
time he saw the pamphlet first, defend.
ants Wells and Thornton were about
fifty feet away, and they had papers in
their hands. He remembered his
mother distinctly from 1868, and never
knew her to be insane. He was at no
time absent from her for more than six
months, and then only twice, but during
those occasions he had visited her fre-
quently. His mother had been away
from home once for q little over two
mouths.
Objections being made by the defend
ANITA attorney to testimony being Of
fered going TO prove the falsity of the
libel, quite an argument followed, but
tho objections were overruled.
Witness stated that the demeanor If
his father was always kind toward his
nother, and their family relations had
always been harmonious. His mother
had never been in Stockton.
The pamphlet was offered in evidence,
~ whole, by the prosecution at this
point.
Cross. s.examined-Witness said he had
lived at home during all the time since
ASS, except for the past two years.
Never knew his mother to be insane;
knew his mother had been taken away,
sbut it was not for insanity. Never had
heard that Will Widney went away with
sher. She went in 1870 to Alameda.
;Staid there two months. His father
took her up there. His recolleciions of
her going up there were clear. His
father returned before she did. Re-
ceived letters from her postmarked Oak
land. Received letter once a week.
She was at DR.. Ira \ ,r's house, or hos.
pital. Did not know who accompanied
her back. A nurse and DIR. Widney
we're at the house when she left. His
mother had been i'll ever since the time
of his brothers birth, about q month
before she went away. Part of the time
she was up, aud part of the time she
was in bed. The home was kept up
while she was away. She had never
been i'll at any time prior to
the birth of his brother. Some
of that time his mother was out of
her lead with a fever. because DR.. j. P.
Widney was trying to poison her, and
che would have done it if / had not been
there" Do not remember whether his
mother had discharged him, but thought
his father had. His mother protested
against taking DIR. Widney's treatment,
and after he told his father about it, he
did not insist on her taking it. He in.
sisted before and that was all the trouble
there was between them.
Witness had asked what the medicine
was and they had told him it was poison.
He knew now what it was. Colonel
Marshall had told him. 1t was morphine.
No other physician had been in attend
ance. DIR. Widney's brother frequently
came to the house. Did not remember
that Will Widney went away with my
mother. She was just sent away for
treatment. She was not able to help
herself. She had to be assisted.
CAPTAIN IF. WALKER.
The next witness was Captain j. F.
Walker, who testified that be had seen q
pamphlet resembling that offered in evi
dence, but he had not read it. Tried to
get one. Tried to get one from G. Wiley
Wells, who said he had none. but was
going to have 5000 more printed and
distribute them all over the country
Said he had some, but had given then
all out. Witness knew that the rela-
lions between Thornton and Bell were
unfriendly.
Cross-examined.-Had the conver
sation with Wells In the Encamp.
mont room in this city. Bell
was not then candidate for any Office,
that know of. Was present when Bel
asked an investigation about pamphlet.
1t was after that / had had the converse.
ton with Wells and before the commit.
tee reported. 1t was not on that
account that wanted the pamphlet, but
a. q matter of curiosity. Wells said he
was going to have 5000 more of them
printed. He said, "call on me then and
get one."
AFTERNOON SESSION.